Safe Schools Seminar to be Held March 12 at UB

Nearly 800 law enforcement and school personnel will be at the University at Buffalo today (Thursday, March 12, 2009) from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. to participate in the sixth annual Safe Schools Initiative Seminar in the Center for the Arts on the UB North (Amherst) Campus.

The seminar will focus on the importance of developing a school safety plan that involves all school personnel and the benefits of developing plans in collaboration with law enforcement agencies and emergency services. In addition, the seminar will look at the importance of holding full-scale drills and the role of communication and networking.

The seminar will examine the experiences of school officials who participated with law enforcement and emergency personnel in a full-scale threat incident exercise held this winter at Amherst High School. A video of the exercise and follow up interviews with key players will be shown, followed by a panel to discuss key elements of the simulation.

The event is sponsored by the U.S. Secret Service; Student Affairs, University Police and the Western New York Educational Service Council, all at UB; National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; the U.S. Attorney's Office WDNY; Amherst Police Department; Amherst Central School District; Town of Amherst Department of Emergency Services and Safety; Homeland Security Management Institute, and the Utica National Insurance Group.

Press arrangements: Christine Vidal in the Office of University Communications at 645-5000 ext. 1416, and Bill Regan on-site.